No excuse for cleft-palate abortions

I read with horror last Sunday about the number of babies being aborted because they have a cleft palate tripling in the past five years.

Four abortions were carried out for this reason in 2011 and 2012. This figure jumped to nine in 2013, ten in 2014 and 11 last year, according to statistics released by the Department of Health.

It is thought this change is because of increased access to tests that diagnose the condition in the womb.

A baby has been terminated for having a cleft palate even at 28 weeks into a pregnancy.

To me, this is nothing short of murder.

How could any doctor terminate a child’s life for this reason in one theatre and fight to keep a premature baby alive in another? And why is there no public outcry? Are these the hallmarks of a civilised society? Also, how many overworked doctors and nurses are required to perform these needless procedures?

In my view, the parents and doctors who sanction these abortions should be prosecuted.

What next – parents choosing to abort babies that might have a large nose or ears that slightly stick out? Dawn Brannigan, Wednesbury, West Midlands